NCompass Live: Digital Preservation, Part 2: Storage and Protection

Digital PreservationPart 2: Store and Protect

Karen KeehrNebraska State Historical Society

Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE)

Overview Introductions Objectives Store module Protect module

DPOE Baseline Modules: Intro, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Husker Heritage NEtwork

• New training opportunities for collections caretakers • emergency preparedness planning • care of paper materials

MORE INFO TO COME, BUT IN THE INTERIM go to

www.nebraskahistory.org/connect saving treasures.org

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/connect

Library of Congress Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Train-the-Trainer Workshop

Midwest Region

August 21 - 24, 2012

Indianapolis, Indiana

DPOE’s Mission“The mission of the Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE) program of the Library of Congress is to foster national outreach and education to encourage individuals and organizations to actively preserve their digital content, building on a collaborative network of instructors, contributors, and institutional partners.”


What is digital preservation?

Digital preservation is the active management of digital content over time to ensure ongoing access.

DPOE Baseline Modules

Identify - what digital content do you have?

Select - what portion of that content will be preserved?

Store - what issues are there for long term storage?

Protect - what steps are needed to protect your digital content?

Manage - what provisions are needed for long-term management?

Provide - what considerations are there for long-term access?


identify

select

storeprotectmanage

provide

Managing Content Over Time

Modules







DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

What are storage needs?

Archival Storage manages content as objects

Digital content (files + metadata = object)• May include any type of content

– e.g., images, text, sound, video, maps• Requires some identification and description

– Captured as metadata• Needs at least two copies at least two places


Well-managed Collections

Well-managed status makes preservation easierSample characteristics of well-managed:Basic information about each depositMinimal metadata for objects (you define)Common (or normalized) file formatsControlled and known storage of contentMultiple copies in at least 2 locations


Importance of Metadata

• How do you know what an object is?− Metadata uniquely identifies digital objects

• How do you use content in the future?– Metadata makes digital objects

understandable

• How do you know an object is authentic?– Metadata allows objects to be traced over

time

Metadata enables long-term preservation


MS Word document jpg downloaded from the Internet

Preservation MetadataContent (what), Fixity (unchanged), Provenance (life story),

Reference (this thing), Context (relationships)

Administrative(manage) Structural

(understand, use)

Descriptive(find, use)

Object-level Metadata

Diagram courtesy DPM Workshops


Object Metadata Characteristics

Content: preserve the substanceFixity: demonstrate content is unchanged Reference: identify as this content and no other Provenance: trace to its origin (or to deposit)Context: preserve linkages with other objects

Original source: Preserving Digital Information Report, 1996


Number of Copies

How many copies are enough for you?

Minimum: two (2) copies in two locationOptimum: six (6) copies

Examples of storage factors:• Video files are too large to store 6 copies• Possible legal restrictions (e.g., storage locations)• Types of media used for storing the content


Storage Media Options

Content (objects) are kept on storage media Options include: online, near-line, offline Factors for choosing options include

Cost (available resources for preservation) Quantity (size and number of files) Expertise (skills required to manage) Partners (achieving geographic distribution) Services (outsourcing)


Storage Considerations• Multiple, geographically distributed

copies• Storage Partners • Hosted services, e.g.

This is a service to make it easy for organizations to use cloud services to manage content over time


Repository Selection

If you decide to use (build, join, buy) a repository• Range of types to consider:

– general (any content) to special (format-specific)– open source to proprietary – easy to advanced installation and management

• Each option has pros and cons• No system is fully compliant to standards

Select best option for your content – for now


Available Preservation Services

Schultz, May, Skinner 2011

Factors to Consider Cost (available resources for

preservation) Quantity (size and number of files) Expertise (skills required to manage) Partners (achieving geographic

distribution) Services (outsourcing)


Outcomes

• Know the difference between backup and preservation.

• Digital content - > files + metadata.• Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe!• There are multiple storage options available, and

you may need to employ more than one solution.


Modules








What are we protecting content from?

Change and loss – accidental and intentional

Obsolescence – as technology evolvesInappropriate access – e.g.,

confidential dataNon-compliance – standards and

requirementsDisasters – emergencies of all kinds


Everyday Protection

Know where your content is located Onsite and offsite; online and offline

Know who can have access to it DP staff, IT staff, others?

Manage authentication information For staff, depositors, users

Track and review usage then adjust practices Web use, internal use and activities, maintenance


Readiness

Proper planning should allow you to:• Prevent – undesirable outcomes• Predict – most likely risks and threats • Detect – errors, problems, damage• Respond – with appropriate measures• Repair – damage or possible loss


Risk Management

Steps to protect your content:• Identify possible risks• Define those risks (nature and scope)• Assess potential impact (possible damage)• Develop appropriate, feasible responses (plans)• Respond to risks, threats (implement plans)


Emergency Protection

• Engage in ongoing disaster planning – Establish committee and share information– Develop and maintain documents

• Identify possible outcomes and prepare– e.g., server goes down, media is damaged


Planning Components

“Ultimately, an organization would use a suite of plans to properly prepare response, recovery, and continuity activities for disruptions affecting the organization’s IT systems, business processes, and the facility.”

Source: NIST Contingency Planning Guide for Information Technology Systems, pg. 7.


Priorities in Emergencies Safety of employees and guests comes

first What needs to be available soonest?

Identify core functions as part of planning Determine allowable downtime for each Consider steps to re-establish each

function Develop relevant documents Make sure planning documents are

accessible


NIST Planning Components

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

Business Recovery Plan (BRP)

Continuity of Operations Plan

(COOP)

IT ContingencyPlan

Crisis Communication

Plan

Cyber Incident Response Plan

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

Occupant Emergency Plan

(OEP)

From NIST Contingency Planning Guide for Information Technology Systems, pg. 10.


From NIST Contingency Planning Guide for Information Technology Systems, pg. 11.


Disaster Planning Resources


Gerald. R. Ford Conservation CenterNebraska State Historical Society

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/fordcenter/index.shtml402-595-1180

[email protected]

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/fordcenter/index.shtml

mailto:[email protected]

Outcomes

Good practice should result in: Practices in place to manage day-to-day

protection – an implemented security plan Disaster planning in place to prevent, predict,

detect, respond, repair – preparation in the event of an emergency


Thank You

March 6: Part 3 - Manage and Provide Modules

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]